A TRUE FIGHTER: Scituate boys lacrosse goalie overcomes illness to set saves record

Friday

May 23, 2014 at 11:18 PMMay 23, 2014 at 11:30 PM

Senior Jake Reynolds, who has cystic fibrosis, has stopped more shots (over 1,000) than any other player in state history.

James Brooks

SCITUATE – When an athlete makes it “big time,” it is usually in some part due to genetics.

In the case of Jake Reynolds, a senior goalie at Scituate High, genetics easily could have prevented him from becoming the lacrosse star he is today.

Reynolds was born with cystic fibrosis, a recessive genetic disorder that can cause deadly mucus buildups within organs such as the lungs.

Despite the condition, Reynolds has defied the odds and become one of the best goalies in state history.

On April 11, in a regular-season contest against Catholic Memorial, Reynolds broke the all-time Massachusetts career saves mark of 870, held by Billerica’s D.J. Smith.

On May 17, Reynolds became the charter member of the 1,000-career-saves club in a game against Archbishop Williams.

So, how does one overcome a potentially limiting disability and statistically outdo every other goalie in Bay State history?

In the case of Reynolds, the answer lies somewhere inside a winning formula comprised of sheer athletic talent, level-headedness, humility and Zen-like focus.

Said Reynolds of his cystic fibrosis: “It has just taught me you need to take care of things you need to so you can do the things you want to. In my case, (I have to take care of) my health to succeed in lacrosse.”

He means succeed quietly.

Rather than trumpeting his record-setting 871st save, for example, Reynolds took an approach that sums up who he is as a person: He told nobody.

“He broke (the record) and nobody really knew that he broke it,” Scituate coach Mark Puzzangara said. “After he had broken it, somebody asked him in practice about (his progress). He said, ‘Yeah, I broke it two games ago.’”

In a related issue, Reynolds didn’t even mention the fact that he had cystic fibrosis when first interviewed by The Patriot Ledger. Had his coach not noted it in passing, you wouldn’t be reading about it now.

And it wouldn’t have mattered to Reynolds either way.

“Business as usual,” said Puzzangara. “He does not draw attention to himself.”

Except, of course, with his work ethic and dedication to his craft.

The senior takes meticulous care of his body, putting countless hours into making sure he is in prime physical condition before each contest.

“You can’t be stupid,” the captain said. “Ice, stretch, tedious things like that. It’s not fun, that’s for sure. I’ve learned over the years, if you don’t take care of something, it’s going to come back (to haunt) you.”

A varsity starter since his freshman year, Reynolds epitomizes the phrase “student of the game.”

“Before every game, no matter who we play, days before I’ll be looking up kids if they have highlight videos (on the Internet),” Reynolds said. “I find anything I can to try to find out their tendencies.”

No matter how much he knows about his opponents and the shots and moves that likely will come his way, Reynolds’ pre-game preparation wouldn’t be complete without analyzing the player he studies before each and every game: himself.

“My dad records a defensive film,” Reynolds said, “and after every game I’ll go through and examine where shots are coming from and how close, what gaps are open.”

This borderline-obsessive commitment to the game doesn’t stop until mere minutes before the contest. Reynolds makes sure to get out on the field about an hour or so before each contest, fielding shots from whoever is willing to take them.

The thoroughness of Reynolds’ approach explains why he will be attending Cabrini College, outside Philadelphia, to play lacrosse next year. Cabrini is currently the No. 7-ranked Div. III program in the nation.

His attention to detail is also the main reason Scituate is headed to the playoffs. After losing the last four games of the regular season to finish at 10-10 overall, the Sailors earned a No. 4 seed in the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament, drawing a home quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 Norwood (8-10) next Friday.

Without Reynolds, who knows where the team might be?

“We lost our best offensive player with a broken hand in the Cohasset game,” Puzzangara said. “Two kids (were) suspended for the (Watertown) game (because they) didn’t make good choices. We’re relying on a bunch of young kids to try to carry the weight.”

Luckily, Puzzangara and his staff have an extra assistant coach to help guide the team.

“In school, if you see someone, you’ve got to make sure they’re not screwing around,” said Reynolds of how he tries to exercise his leadership role. “There’s a lot more discipline off the field than on the field. You have to make sure everyone keeps their head and is working hard.”

“Without a question, he has been a coach’s dream,” Puzzangara said. “You tell him to do something once, he gets it. Whatever you say, he will relay it to the team. Every one of his teammates, they hang on what he says.”

Regardless of the team’s four-game skid, the coach and his goalie are doing everything they can to mentally prepare for the playoffs. The first order of business is convincing everyone to forget about the recent struggles.

“We need to give them the mind-set that it’s a whole new season,” Reynolds said. “Young kids might look at the four losses and think, ‘Oh God, here we go,’ but we seniors need to tell them it’s a whole new year … Everyone is 0-0. Some of the teams we played (in the regular season) are better than any team we’re going play in the postseason.”

James Brooks may be reached at jbrooks@ledger.com.

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